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fanboyriot's review against another edition
funny
lighthearted
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Read For:
š³ļøāā§ļø t4t
š Fake Dating
š Roommates
šļø Only One Bed
š©· Grumpy x Sunshine
I think this just might be my favorite Mason Deaver book yet! I loved this book so much!
The plot was cute, the characters were amazing, and the romance was perfect. It was everything. Neil and Wyatt were both total dorks and I absolutely adore them.
Iām so happy this book exists. The trans rep, the wedding where dealing with family is a nightmare. There was so many moments in this book that were cute and funny but there were moments where it felt realistic and raw. That Neil was the way he was because of the people around him. Always running away and shoving his feelings down until they didnāt existā¦ at least until he fell face first for the least likely person he was expecting.
The only negative thing I have to say was that I didnāt read it sooner.
Release Date: 16, August 2022
POV: First Person
Spice: š¶ļøš¶ļø (mentioned lightly, PG-13)
Rep: Transmasc Gay (MC), Transmasc Gay (SC), Bisexual Korean (SC), Black Bisexual (SC), Gay (SC), BIPOC Characters, LGBTQIA+ Characters
Content Warnings
Graphic: Homophobia, Classism, and Dysphoria
Moderate: Cursing, Transphobia, Alcohol, Deadnaming, and Panic attacks/disorders
Minor: Death of parent, Vomit, and Fatphobia
bedtimesandbooks's review against another edition
emotional
hopeful
lighthearted
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Homophobia, Deadnaming, Classism, Alcohol, Transphobia, and Lesbophobia
Minor: Sexual content, Fatphobia, and Outing
legalplanner's review against another edition
emotional
hopeful
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
This one had great representation in it that upon first glance I did not think was going to have.
At first Neil seems like a douche bag who has no sense of how to be a caring human. It makes you hate him, and that sucks because that's our lead character. His roommate Wyatt is the exact opposite in every way. where Neil was mean Wyatt was kind, rich vs poor, totally against love vs has a great idea what love is.
All of that seems like it would make a disaster when Wyatt accompanies Neil on a trip to his brothers wedding. Instead, we get development of Neil emotionally and Wyatt teaches Neil how to be a better person.
But lets take a second to talk about the LGBTQ representation. There is so much between Josh, Neil, and Wyatt (including his parents). I found that really refreshing however, Neil's mom is a bit homophobic and other types of phobic and its hard to watch their relationship until they actually sit down and talk about things. Overall this was a good read and I would absolutely recommend it to others.
At first Neil seems like a douche bag who has no sense of how to be a caring human. It makes you hate him, and that sucks because that's our lead character. His roommate Wyatt is the exact opposite in every way. where Neil was mean Wyatt was kind, rich vs poor, totally against love vs has a great idea what love is.
All of that seems like it would make a disaster when Wyatt accompanies Neil on a trip to his brothers wedding. Instead, we get development of Neil emotionally and Wyatt teaches Neil how to be a better person.
But lets take a second to talk about the LGBTQ representation. There is so much between Josh, Neil, and Wyatt (including his parents). I found that really refreshing however, Neil's mom is a bit homophobic and other types of phobic and its hard to watch their relationship until they actually sit down and talk about things. Overall this was a good read and I would absolutely recommend it to others.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Fatphobia, Homophobia, and Transphobia
1quillb's review against another edition
emotional
funny
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.75
This was gonna be 4 stars but the part with Neilās mom at the end really ruined it for me. She was insane and a horrible mother, and he had no reason to forgive her or say that he was in the wrong for saying so (because he absolutely was not). Sorry, Mason :/
Content Warnings
Graphic: Transphobia and Homophobia
Moderate: Sexual content
Minor: Fatphobia, Outing, and Panic attacks/disorders
atmreads's review against another edition
challenging
emotional
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
And here we go again, Iām in love with love and questioning my gender. I donāt know where to start, I donāt know what feels more important. Whether Neil and Wyattās love for each other is what I want to talk about or Wyattās short scene about their gender that sent me spiraling (in the best way).
I guess Iāll start with the relationship. Neil is such a little shit for almost the entire book and I know thatās a turn off for some people, but I kinda liked it. He was stupid and impulsive and annoying and so head over fucking heels for Wyatt and it made me so happy. And it made me angry when he wouldnāt admit how much he loved them and when he tried to convince himself out of these feelings. But then I was smiling quietly to myself as I listened to the last hour of the audiobook, as I read about their reconciliation. Knowing they got their happily ever after and their first dance made me so. damn. happy. Seeing Neil not only realize he /can/ love, but also realize that heās /allowed/ to love. Seeing Wyatt tell Neil that they love him, that it was always real to them. It made me realize how much I love love. And I think a huge part of my love for this book is how batshit and messy and trope-y it is. Iād absolutely hate this if it was cishet, Iād write it off as a cash grab because itād be like every other Hallmark romcom of a book. But it being queer, and t4t made it hit different. It made it feel genuine, like a love letter to queer kids who think they donāt get to love. I mean the dedication is literally āFor every trans person who ever believed they were too complicated for a love story.ā THAT HIT ME SO HARD. I donāt use the word trans for myself, but that didnāt make it any less meaningful. That being the first thing I heard when I started the book made me know this book was for me. It was for people like me. Queer people, queer *kids* deserve these stories. They deserve the messy crazy love stories that weāre told we donāt get to have. This book managed to make me realize how much I actually like romance books, queer romances that is. Reading stories like this is a reclamation of love, itās telling little me that I do find love, that even if I like girls instead of boys I can love and I /get/ to love. Itās telling little me that eventually, I get to see people like me have these messy love stories, people like me can be batshit and wild in stories. Reading stories like this is telling little me that even if right now I think I want to be every pretty girl without being her and without being a girl, eventually I sorta figure it out, eventually I feel seen. Eventually, we get to lay in bed at night and smile as we read about the joy of love, the kind of love we want.
And then Wyattās gender thing in the middle of the book. I listened to them explain it, the way they said they sometimes feel like wearing makeup and skirts and wanting a soft body. But sometimes they like their scruffiness and masculinity. And sometimes they felt like everything but neither and it just didnāt fit into boy or girl. The way they said they liked the idea of just simply not fitting into the gender binary. That resonated with me. THAT finally felt like my gender, this thing Iāve grappled with for ages and never understood if I was cis or trans or neither. I finally felt like I knew how to explain it when I heard someone else (albeit fictional) explain it. Seeing that kind of representation in media felt good. Hearing Wyatt ask for Neil to use different pronouns the same way I asked friends to use different pronouns for me felt so good. It made me feel seen.
I read this book in a day, I pretty much listened to the audiobook nonstop. I fell so madly in love with it, the way I felt seen, the way I felt like love was so perfectly portrayed. Just please go read this book and thank you Mason Deaver for writing it
I guess Iāll start with the relationship. Neil is such a little shit for almost the entire book and I know thatās a turn off for some people, but I kinda liked it. He was stupid and impulsive and annoying and so head over fucking heels for Wyatt and it made me so happy. And it made me angry when he wouldnāt admit how much he loved them and when he tried to convince himself out of these feelings. But then I was smiling quietly to myself as I listened to the last hour of the audiobook, as I read about their reconciliation. Knowing they got their happily ever after and their first dance made me so. damn. happy. Seeing Neil not only realize he /can/ love, but also realize that heās /allowed/ to love. Seeing Wyatt tell Neil that they love him, that it was always real to them. It made me realize how much I love love. And I think a huge part of my love for this book is how batshit and messy and trope-y it is. Iād absolutely hate this if it was cishet, Iād write it off as a cash grab because itād be like every other Hallmark romcom of a book. But it being queer, and t4t made it hit different. It made it feel genuine, like a love letter to queer kids who think they donāt get to love. I mean the dedication is literally āFor every trans person who ever believed they were too complicated for a love story.ā THAT HIT ME SO HARD. I donāt use the word trans for myself, but that didnāt make it any less meaningful. That being the first thing I heard when I started the book made me know this book was for me. It was for people like me. Queer people, queer *kids* deserve these stories. They deserve the messy crazy love stories that weāre told we donāt get to have. This book managed to make me realize how much I actually like romance books, queer romances that is. Reading stories like this is a reclamation of love, itās telling little me that I do find love, that even if I like girls instead of boys I can love and I /get/ to love. Itās telling little me that eventually, I get to see people like me have these messy love stories, people like me can be batshit and wild in stories. Reading stories like this is telling little me that even if right now I think I want to be every pretty girl without being her and without being a girl, eventually I sorta figure it out, eventually I feel seen. Eventually, we get to lay in bed at night and smile as we read about the joy of love, the kind of love we want.
And then Wyattās gender thing in the middle of the book. I listened to them explain it, the way they said they sometimes feel like wearing makeup and skirts and wanting a soft body. But sometimes they like their scruffiness and masculinity. And sometimes they felt like everything but neither and it just didnāt fit into boy or girl. The way they said they liked the idea of just simply not fitting into the gender binary. That resonated with me. THAT finally felt like my gender, this thing Iāve grappled with for ages and never understood if I was cis or trans or neither. I finally felt like I knew how to explain it when I heard someone else (albeit fictional) explain it. Seeing that kind of representation in media felt good. Hearing Wyatt ask for Neil to use different pronouns the same way I asked friends to use different pronouns for me felt so good. It made me feel seen.
I read this book in a day, I pretty much listened to the audiobook nonstop. I fell so madly in love with it, the way I felt seen, the way I felt like love was so perfectly portrayed. Just please go read this book and thank you Mason Deaver for writing it
Content Warnings
Graphic: Transphobia, Classism, and Homophobia
Moderate: Sexism, Dysphoria, and Mental illness
Minor: Death of parent, Deadnaming, and Fatphobia
imstephtacular's review against another edition
emotional
hopeful
lighthearted
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Classism, Cursing, and Transphobia
Moderate: Toxic relationship, Homophobia, Emotional abuse, Dysphoria, Vomit, Alcohol, Body shaming, and Sexual content
Minor: Panic attacks/disorders, Grief, Fatphobia, Death of parent, Deadnaming, Suicidal thoughts, and Pregnancy
tragicgloom's review against another edition
emotional
funny
hopeful
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Transphobia, Dysphoria, and Deadnaming
Moderate: Homophobia and Religious bigotry
Minor: Lesbophobia, Misogyny, and Fatphobia
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